If you, just like me, feel absolutely ashamed of the holiday gluttony, then get your guilt-free snack at Suntec’s Just Dough.

I must say that typically I am not a mantou consumer, however the creative twist on flavours, colors and textures that Just Dough has brought to the steamed bun game is notable and crave-worthy. From delicious charcoal to pumpkin seeds, coconut and wolfberries, each bun is uniquely crafted to fit most palates and deliver soft velvety dough with a light texture and delicate flavor. Either plain, or dunked in coffee / tea, I’ve enjoyed their mantou buns since Just Dough opened shop a few years back, and I must say that their increasing popularity is not surprising.

I have seen many customers purchase buns to steam later at home, however I’ve never tried this. Perhaps for next post..

YTF is one of those chameleonic dishes that can vary so widely it can please any audience with its many versions.

Today I stopped by Suntec for lunch to indulge in the Fu Lin version, one I'm well acquainted with from its Telok Ayer sister restaurant (YTF by day, bar by night).

There are two big reasons to have FuLin:

1. Deep Fried YTF.
Everything is deep fried to a golden crunchy perfection in the sizzling wok, making even the most unspectacular bits a real treat. ( fyi: the veggies will be steamed. You wouldn't want that deep-fried..)

2. The sauce.
Thick sweet and savory brown sauce with bits of mince. This gels the entire meal together, generously topping both the YTF plate, and the bowl of carbs.

For carbs you can choose among rice, kway teow, yellow noodle or the house special - a thicker bee hoon rice noodle, which is my favorite.

From my own experience, this dish is best kept for a post-jog weekend treat. If consumed during a weekday lunch, it may have side effects like desk napping or extreme slacking by the photocopier.

Capri trattoria is great. We tried quite a few dishes and they all hit the spot like only homecooked Italian food can: with style, warmth, love and consistency.

Pictured here is my favorite of the evening: Fettuccine alla Piemontese. The tender home made pasta coated in rich and creamy truffle, topped with porcini mushrooms, thinly sliced cured prosciutto and Parmesan shavings, is infused with the subtle aromas of all ingredients. I will definitely want to have this dish again, as the depth of flavors and smooth textures is truly outstanding.

A few other dishes we enjoyed:
- Caprese appetizer: the soft fresh cheese with tomato slices and herbs was a great antipasto.
- The pizza tartufata is a suitable choice for vegetarians and meat lovers alike. The blend of cheese, truffle and mushrooms is nicely melting atop a thin crispy crust, making pizza here a must-share item.
- Gnocchi Della Mamma are truly fantastic. The spinach and ricotta mixture is fragrant and light, coated in a delicious tomato sauce. This dish tasted exquisitely home-made. You simply cannot get these flavors from a jar.

We ended the evening with a classic tiramisu, a torta al limone and the spectacular lava cake on fire. It was rewarding and refreshing, as the sugar levels in all desserts were enough to sweeten while retraining the original zesty lemon taste, the chocolate and coffee smooth bitterness and the creamy cocoa flavors.

It was a deeply satisfying dinner, with great service, delicious food and lively family atmosphere.

Capri gets a golden star from me

We finally ventured to the top floor of Beauty World for the much anticipated brunch at You Peng Noodle Dumpling House.

This place has a thousand reviews and just about as many fans. Needless saying I'm now part of their fan club too, as I have left the table extremely satisfied with my juicy meaty doughy treat.

The Xiao Long Bao filling and soup taste nice - the light pork broth and meat can compete with much pricier establishments. The only thing I could fault is the skin, sightly too thick for me. I did jokingly tell my lunch date that I could probably throw the bao at the wall, and it still wouldn't burst. ( which I guess it's safer than the paper-thin skinned baos that end up spilling in the steaming basket at the lightest of touches.)

The pot stickers were very nice as well, slightly soupy inside and well crisped on the outside. One additional highlight of the meal (not shown in the photo) was the shou zhua bing pancake: savory, crispy, fresh and piping hot, without being too greasy.

You Peng is great value for money, a definite recommendation for dumpling aficionados.

It's next to a Popeye's, it's a franchise restaurant, I walked in with the most snobbish of looks on my face and walked out blown away.

"Taste of Sarawak" seems to be the selling line for their special. Now, I don't know what Sarawak tastes like, but if it tastes like this, then Sarawak tastes really good!

The toppings are ordinary, the presentation is ordinary, the service is ordinary, but please do take those bouncy noodles for a spin in the salty fatty sauce at the bottom and you'll know what I'm talking about. You'll be quiet the entire meal because it's not nice to speak with your mouth full and believe me, you'll keep your mouth full at all times.

I'm yet to find a more intelligent way of describing the food other than "really good", but perhaps that's all it needs to be: unpretentious, unapologetic get your noodle fix shop.

Awesome.

A random decision to peek around the corner down the quaint Short Street got me to The Ramen House.

The place looks great, and it has the right buzz for late night dinner with friends. It has a surprisingly broad selection of Japanese fare, and even more surprising ability to deliver consistent quality dishes at a reasonable price.

But the most surprising of all was my beef ramen. It was nothing like what I have tasted before or expected, yet I loved it! The broth is delicate and light, with a mild sour tinge, reminiscent of the asam flavor of a local laksa. Together with the pickles, freshly chopped scallions and green cucumbers, the soup layers are very well balanced and make the broth much easier to enjoy than a traditional tonkotsu.

The thin beef slices and firm noodles go very well in the soup and keep it exciting throughout. I have not finished a full bowl of ramen (with broth and all) in a very long time and I believe the local flavors and general lightness of the ramen here are to blame for my Friday night indulgence.

I will return to try their chirashi (that by the way looked amazing on the neighbouring table) - unless I'll get stuck again at letter R and get a repeat of their tasty ramen.

I'll start with a disclaimer: I'm very subjective when it comes to SPRMRKT. Since I work around the corner, over the past few years I have developed a strong attachment to the coffee, food, staff and vibe of this locale. The design loving store-bistro concept developed by Sue Quek paired with the many fantastic combinations chef Joseph Yeo reinvents every quarter make SPRMRKT a fixture in the CBD and one of my favorite haunts.

So now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about basics: comfort food. The kind of stuff that you want after a few hours of OT, before doing more OT. I'm talking chicken, fries, buns, dressing, greens, eggs. Not the most complicated menu item, this chicken breast burger is somehow always my default choice when I don't want to think too hard. It's what my body already knows it needs when I walk through the door. The two slabs of chicken breast are coated in savory sauce, melted cheese and sautéed mushrooms, sitting on a bed of dressed lettuce and topped with a sunny side up. I invariably spread them all on the cutting board and make a platter of it, as my mouth has a size limitation well under what this burger requires.

As a side you'll get "the best fries in Singapore". SPRMRKT's paprika fries are absolutely incredible. Thin, crispy, coated in a seasoning that is pure catnip, these fries will make you want to order an extra basket just for yourself (which I sometimes shamelessly do as well).

So if you're in the CBD after dark and there a void in your stomach and in your heart, now you know the cure.

For once I'll have to say: sorry Anthony Bourdain, but you should've crossed the Ann Siang Hill.

There's a lot of hype around the chicken rice establishments at Maxwell, which works for me, as it keeps my hidden treasure at Amoy away from hungry crowds. Stall #02-94, Min Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice is an authentic purveyor of culinary happiness, perfectly balancing the richness of the fragrant rice with the sweet tenderness of the chicken meat and bite of their fantastic chilli sauce.

Both roasted and Hainanese, the chicken meat is flavorful and juicy with each bite. What's even more remarkable is that the skin is not fatty at all, yet tender and tasty, making every lunch break at Min Kee a real treat.

(Shhh...don't tell the Maxwell crowd)

The perfect desert. Why bother with heavy creams and buttery guilt when there's smooth, silky, cooling beancurd?

Ji De Chi is a perfect spot for all sorts of local desserts. Although my favorite (shown here) is their beancurd, they have a remarkable selection of shaved ice, puddings, cold cakes and other perfect cures against hot weather or heavy meals.

The place is super lively late at night adding to the really great experience of hanging out there with friends.

If you're in the CBD area (or don't mind the trip there from wherever you may be) you have to try the AhLiang Ipoh Hor Fun at the Amoy - stall 02-122.

Shredded chicken and smooth rice noodles go really well together in the rich herbal zhup that will leave you with the best aftertaste in the world. This is a meal you definitely won't want to brush your teeth after. Oh, and if you want the perfect trifecta, add on the deep fried fish dumplings. They're always so good fried to golden perfection, crunchy on the outside and bursting with flavours inside. Once the zhup gets in the mix, you'll definitely have something to write home about.

Oh, and if you're properly kiasu, you'll know to wait patiently for the uncle to pull out a freshly fried batch of dumplings. The tastiest 3rd degree mouth burns ever.

Do you know that famous fish soup place at Amoy Street Food Centre?

Well... This ain't that one, but (here's the catch) their soup is seriously kick-ass. The auntie at 01-04, New Hong Kong Porridge is always smiling (I guess happy to poach customers from the next door fish soup stall) and always up for customizing the soup even if she's not sure it's the best idea. So if you're a weirdo like me, she'll gladly serve you a big spoonful of century egg in your soup...just because protein, right?

It's steaming, it's wholesome, it's my working overtime soul bandaid, so check it out!

Here's the deal: while there are enough superior dim sum joints around, stall 46 at Maxwell is a reliable Saturday tea-time purveyor of glutinous rice topped with tender chicken bits - the basic Lo Mai Kai that needs neither tampering with, nor excuses.

It's consistent, it's yummy and no additional words are needed to describe it. We did try for the first time their chives+prawn beancurd roll and dipped in chilli sauce it added the kick much needed to wrap up our snack time and start making dinner plans.

Two thumbs up.